Various decorative objects have been created from thin sheet-like material. Such objects have included illusion-producing devices and Christmas tree ornaments.
Three-dimensional ornamental devices described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,783,815, D472,183 and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/749,603 disclose objects having a series of elongate strips with both ends connected to a spine member having a single vertical axis. These devices are each adapted to rotate about the axis of the spine member. None permit their spines to be bent laterally away from its vertical axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,780 (Vermeire) discloses another three-dimensional decorative device with a plurality of fins on its center strip portion. Similar to the devices described above, the Vermeire device is adapted to give the appearance of an axially moving, sinusoidal, optical wave pattern when rotated. Consequently, the axis of the central strip is maintained substantially vertical to achieve full rotation. This does not allow the central strip to be bent laterally away from its vertical axis. Moreover, the Vermeire device is fabricated from a louvered material such as thin aluminum sheet. Although the final shape of the device is produced by twisting the central strip about its vertical axis, the strip loses about one half of its twists when the twisting force is released because of resilience in the material used.
There are other decorative structures having a series of horizontal slats on a vertical axis. Such structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,578,291, 4,428,988, 4,186,503, 4,380,562, D130,937 and 2,111,109. However, all of these structures are assembled from a number of separate elements, namely, horizontal slat-like members removably secured to a vertical member with an axis that is maintained in its vertical orientation.